


Broken Discs

by theliteraltrash



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Amputee Mac, Complicated Relationships, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mac and Dennis Movie Nights, Tuesday Nights Movie Nights, Veteran Mac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 17:15:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11086233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theliteraltrash/pseuds/theliteraltrash
Summary: Mac was honorably discharged from the military after getting shot in the knee. Upon arrival home and being released from rehab, he and his roommate, Charlie, go for drinks at the bar Charlie works at. There, Charlie introduces him to Dennis.





	1. The One Where They Meet

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by nonquality on tumblr.  
> Art by impalasociopath will be added!  
> My tumblr is theliteraltrash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a playlist that goes with this fic!  
> https://open.spotify.com/user/theliteraltrash/playlist/4euWtQZHvhgs4OXsPT6QEZ

__

_“Officer McDonald! McDonald! Mac!” Mac heard the man’s voice but he couldn’t focus, he just felt a strong and sharp pain in his knee. He couldn’t feel his leg below his right knee. He collapsed, his vision getting fuzzy._

_When he opened his eyes, all he saw was a bright white light. He squinted, placing his hand over his eyes. “Fuck,” he groaned, knowing someone was in the room from the feeling of a rough hand on his arm, “What happened?”_

_“You were shot,” an unfamiliar voice stated, “Your right leg was amputated above the knee.” Mac looked toward the woman, his eyebrows raised and his eyes wide. “There was extensive damage to your nerves due to the close range of a long range rifle.”_

A little over a year later, Mac finally finished rehab and moved into Charlie’s apartment. A month later, they had gotten a two bedroom apartment, rather than the shitty studio apartment that Charlie previously had. Neither of them could drive, so they both took walks on Market Street. Mac’s doctors told him that he needed to get extra exercise to help perfect walking with his new prosthetic leg. Mac was thankful to have such a close friend with him during this rough time.

Once a week, Charlie would get picked up by a friend to get groceries. Mac never went on these grocery trips; he didn’t think he would be able to handle the crowds at the store. One afternoon, while Mac was helping Charlie put the groceries in the fridge, Charlie started a conversation. “So uh, my friend Dennis and me are going to a bar tonight. Do you wanna come? It can help you get back on the people scene.”

He had a point. The only person Mac had seen since finishing rehab was Charlie. Mac cleared his throat a bit and nodded. “Yeah, sure. What time is he picking us up?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning against the counter.

Charlie bit his lower lip. “He isn’t picking us up. I told him we would take a taxi,” before Mac could interrupt, Charlie lifted his hands to silence him and continued speaking, “I stole some cash from a woman at the supermarket, so that should cover it! Dennis said he’d handle the tab at the bar since we’ve got a veterinarian.”

Mac cringed internally. Charlie had never tried to say that in front of him. He didn’t want to be rude to his friend, so he calmly corrected him, “Veteran, wrong kind of vet, buddy. You were close, I’m impressed.” Charlie smiled at him and Mac returned the smile.

“Anyway, he told me to take a shower so I’ll be out in a bit,” Charlie gently gave Mac a pat on the shoulder and headed into the bathroom. Mac frowned to himself. Since when did Charlie listen when someone told him to shower? Especially some guy Mac had never met? Who the hell did this guy think he was?

Mac shook his head. What the hell was wrong with him? He didn’t _own_ Charlie. Charlie wasn’t his _boyfriend._ There was no reason to be jealous of this Dennis guy. It’s just that Charlie was _his_ best friend, so Mac wished some stranger didn’t have more control over him than he did. Mac sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It had grown a lot since his honorable discharge. He missed having longer hair, just another con of him enlisting.

After about fifteen minutes, Charlie left the bathroom, wearing the same pants as every other day and his Magna shirt. He put on his green military jacket. Mac had given it to him once he’d gotten back, since Mac wasn’t going to wear it anyways. Charlie took uncharacteristically good care of the jacket; if he lost it, then how would he have something of his best friend with him in case something happened to him? In case something _worse_ happened to him?

Charlie put on his practically destroyed boots and they headed outside. The two waited for a nearby man to hail a cab. Charlie charged at the cab, shoving the man out of the way. Mac quickly limped to catch up. Charlie beckoned him to hurry with a flurrying hand motion. He scooted further towards the other door. Mac plopped in the back of the cab, carefully lifting his prosthetic leg to have it rest in front of him. He closed the door. “Paddy’s Pub please,” Charlie instructed the cab driver.

Mac furrowed his brows. “I’ve never heard of this place,” he stated.

“It opened while you were gone, I’m the janitor there,” Charlie informed him, looking out the window at the other passing cars and the buildings.

Mac nodded a bit and pursed his lips. “Uh, okay then. Is it any good?” he asked.

Charlie nodded and turned to Mac. “Yeah, Dennis and his sister are bartenders there. Their dad owns it.”

The cab fare turned out to be more than Charlie could afford so Mac had to pay the extra five dollars. Mac sighed as he turned toward the bar. It gave a dangerous aura. He felt like he could get mugged in the alley next to it. Oddly, it made him feel more at home than his own apartment. It reminded him of his childhood home and of the military. He stepped inside, following Charlie. Upon entrance he saw a blonde woman standing behind the bar and talking to a man with short, curly light brown hair. Charlie gently grabbed Mac’s shoulder to get his attention. “I’ll get Dennis, you grab us a booth. I’ll be there in a minute.” Mac nodded and the two separated.

Mac sat in the closest booth that had no drinks on the table. He glanced around until he found Charlie, talking to the two people behind the bar. The man nodded and said something that Mac couldn’t make out. Charlie nodded and turned his head, he pointed at Mac and turned his head back to the man. The man smiled and nodded. So this guy was Dennis. Dennis was _attractive_.

Charlie sat on the other side of the booth, near the wall. Dennis sat next to him, and he carelessly placed his arm on Charlie’s shoulders. “You must be Mac. I’m Dennis, Dennis Reynolds. Charlie has told me so much about you.” He smiled, reaching his hand out.

Mac shook the man’s hand. Dennis gave a nice firm handshake. Mac appreciated that in a man. “I wish I could say the same for you.” Mac gave a tight smile. Based on the fact that Charlie was fine with this guy touching him, Mac would assume they were dating. Which would explain why Charlie listened when he was told to take a shower. “So how did you two meet?” he asked.

Dennis squinted a bit and pursed his lips, he turned and looked at Charlie. “This guy interrupted a date that I did _not_ want to be on,” he said, looking back at Mac, “I don’t remember the chicks name, but Charlie threatened me and I was like ‘you can have her.’” Charlie’s eyes widened in recognition.

“He was on a date with the waitress! After I interrupted them, she left. Then I helped him dine and ditch Guigino’s.” Charlie nodded.

Mac felt his face relax into a genuine smile. “Dude you’re still not over the waitress?” He laughed.

Charlie gave him an apathetic face. “She’s the love of my life, bro.” Of course that hasn’t changed. Mac was sure that Charlie still had the illegible list of things to “keep her safe”.

Dennis rolled his eyes and moved his arm off of Charlie. “The kid stalks this woman.”

Mac laughed and nodded. “Hasn’t changed a bit.”

The blonde woman walked over to them, carrying a tray with four beers. She placed one in front of each of them and placed the fourth next to Mac. “Artemis is taking over the bar, I can’t look at all those old ass customers,” She placed the tray on the booth next to them. She groaned and carelessly sat next to Mac. “Who’s the hottie?” She pointed at Mac with her thumb.

“Mac, he’s a vet,” Dennis smiled and raised his eyebrows. “Mac, this is my sister Dee. Sweet Dee, Mac is Charlie’s roommate and best friend.” He bit his lip.

Dee nodded. “So, what’s it like saving animals for a living?” she asked, looking at Mac.

Mac could tell that she was flirting. “Actually, I’m a veteran,” he corrected. “I was honorably discharged when I got shot,” he informed them all, knowing that they were misinformed by Charlie’s illiteracy.

Dee raised her eyebrows. “Ooo a soldier,” she pursed her lips and looked at her brother.

Mac nodded. “Yeah and I was worried they’d boot me because I’m gay, not because I had to get my leg amputated.” Mac smiled as he saw Dee’s smile tighten and her eyes widen.

She bit the inside of her cheeks. “Well, I’m gonna get back to work,” she chugged her beer and stood up. She grabbed the tray she left on the table and walked back to the bar.

Mac laughed and took a rather large gulp of his beer. Charlie was staring off into the distance, Mac didn't want to bother him. “So, Dennis, is there a job opening here? I can't find anything that I want to do.”

Dennis bit his lip and gave Mac a once over. “I'll ask Frank if you can do security.”


	2. The One With The Walk

Charlie wasn’t home when Mac decided he needed to get out of the apartment. It was early afternoon in the middle of summer, so he sighed as he put on knee length jean shorts and a sleeveless shirt. He put on some deodorant, which he forgot to put on when he woke up. He put on the boot that matches the one he currently has on his prosthetic. He took a deep breath as he walked out of the apartment. He had to prepare himself for allowing people to see his leg, or lack thereof. He didn’t notice he was holding his breath until he made it to the lobby floor from the elevator. He exhaled shakily as he stepped out of the elevator.

He clenched his fists as he walked out of the apartment building. He grabbed his ear buds from his pocket and plugged them into his phone. He felt himself relax as the familiar music began playing. _“Uh huh this my shit,”_ he smiled as he began walking down the sidewalk. He bobbed his head and sang quietly as he began jogging. “I heard that you were talking shit and you didn’t think that I would hear it,” he mumbled. “Mmm this my shit, this my shit, this my shit,” he didn’t care anymore if people were staring at him.

He found himself at The Rainbow. He stopped in front of the doors, he pauses his music at the beginning of Judas. He takes a deep breath and listens to the booming bass coming from the music from the club. He exhales and reaches for the door, his hands shaking. He can’t force himself to go inside so he pulls his hand away from the door as if he had been burned. He felt his chest tighten and he quickly unpauses the song, taking a step away from the door.

Before he could turn around and head back to the apartment, the door opened. He inhaled sharply, but froze when he saw who was on the other side. “Dennis?” he asked, his voice raising in pitch.

Dennis froze and the door hit him in the shoulder. “Fuck,” he grimaced, moving away from the doorway. “Mac! Hey, I just uh was lost-” his voice was shaky and he kept gesturing to the door with unsteady hands.

Mac nodded a bit. “It’s okay dude, no worries,” he smiled a bit and gave Dennis a wink. He remembered being in the closet. It was tough, he should help others that were struggling with themselves. “Do you wanna walk with me?” he decided to change the subject, seeing Dennis visibly relax.

Dennis cleared his throat. “Yeah, which way?” he asked.

“I was heading back to my apartment,” Mac responded. “But we could go somewhere else?” he added.

Dennis shook his head a bit. “That’s good, I was thinking of stopping by the hang out with Charlie anyways,” he takes a deep breath.

They both turned the way Mac had came. “So where are you from?” Mac asked, deciding to get to know his new friend.

“Here,” Dennis responded. “Well not _here_ , I grew up in Rittenhouse Square. I went to Penn for a while with Dee, I majored in psych, then dad bought the bar and I gave up my dreams of being a veterinarian.” Mac was in shock from the name drop of such a rich neighborhood. “What about you?” Dennis asked.

“Actually I grew up in South Philly, just a few blocks from the apartment I share with Charlie. We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember,” Mac smiles a bit. “I enlisted about 2 years ago, got shot on my last day of training by some fucking dumb recruit, Ben, didn’t know how to clean a rifle,” he sneered and shook his head. “I lost my leg because some imbecile accidentally _shot me_ before I could actually accomplish my dreams and now it made me look like a freak.”

Dennis furrowed his brows. “No dude, you aren’t a freak. It’s such an accomplishment for you to have been in the military in the first place,” he placed his hand on Mac’s back, causing Mac’s face to heat up more than it already was. He was glad that his face was already a bit pink from his exhaustion due to jogging. “Glad you made it back alive though,” Dennis smiled a bit.

Mac smiled widely. “Me too man,” he let out a soft sigh. “Charlie was so _worried_ when I called him. I never want to cause that much fear in him again.”

Dennis scoffed. “That dude is terrifying. I once saw him beat the shit out of some guy who was trying to rob the bar. Then he acted like it was nothing…” Dennis took a deep breath. “The kid can handle anything, but losing the people he loves.”

* * *

 

_Mac grabbed the phone that was on the table next to his hospital bed. He quickly dialled the only number he had memorized other than his mother's. He took a deep breath and put the phone against his ear. He bit his lip as he listened to the dial tone. He felt his stomach drop when he heard his best friend's voice. “Hello?”_

_Mac pressed his fist to his mouth and exhaled through his nose. He moved his hand so he could speak. “Hey, Charlie. What’s up buddy?” he asked._

_Mac heard the sound of a mop and was very confused. Charlie never cleaned. “Not much. What’s up, Mac? It’s not your scheduled calling day,” Charlie was smarter than people gave him credit for, he knew dates._

_Mac ran his hand through his hair. “There’s no easy way to say this, I’m being discharged,” before he could add anything, Charlie interrupted him._

_“Is it the whole don’t ask don’t tell thing? Did they find out you’re gay?”_

_Mac laughed lightly. “No,” he immediately regretted laughing, “I got shot,” there was silence on the other end. Mac heard the mop being dropped. It was an empty kind of rattle. He didn’t hear Charlie breathing. “I’m fine though!” he quickly added. Charlie let out a deep breath. “I don’t know when I’ll be back in Philly, can you tell my mom? I don’t want to break the news to her.”_

_“Yeah, yeah sure,” Charlie sounded on the verge of tears, “anything. Whatever you need,” he was cut off by a sob. “Dude what the_ **_FUCK_ ** _?!” Mac heard a crack in Charlie’s voice as he shouted. He heard a loud thud and assumed Charlie kicked something or punched a wall. “You got_ **_shot_ ** _?!” he hissed into the phone._

_Mac heard a door open and assumed it was Charlie until he heard an unfamiliar female voice. “Everything okay in here buddy?” she asked._

_Mac couldn’t hear it but he assumed Charlie nodded. “Yeah, just o-on the phone,” he responded. He breathed in through his nose, Mac could hear the mucus reenter his friends respiratory system. He let out another sob. “I’m actually not okay. I’m gonna leave early today, I got some bad news from a friend."_

_“Okay, whatever,” the woman responded._

* * *

 

“Dude, so we stole this chick’s car and we were fucking plastered,” Mac was sitting at the bar in front of Dennis, who was behind the bar. Dee sat next to him and Charlie was cleaning the men’s bathroom, “and suddenly I hear Charlie going ‘there’s a lake, there’s a lake!’ so I stomp on the brakes and we are _this_ close to crashing into the Schuylkill River,” Dennis let out a loud laugh and Dee gave an approving noise.

Dee looked at her watch. “I’ve gotta get to acting class,” she stood up, “see you boners later,” she smiled as she headed out.

“Bye Dee,” Dennis mumbled. He poured himself a shot of vodka. He downed it, sneering as he slammed the shot glass on the bar.

They were alone, the only way for them to be interrupted would be if Charlie left the bathroom. Chances of that were low because he was probably getting high from smelling bleach. Mac grabbed Dennis's empty shot glass and held it out to him. Dennis filled it with vodka and Mac mirrored what Dennis had done when Dee left. “So,” Mac leaned closer to Dennis as the man spoke. They were more than a little tipsy, “I think you're kinda, maybe _a little_ hot, and I was wondering if _maybe_ you wanted to have dinner with me,” Dennis slurred a bit towards the end.

Mac smiled, tossing his arm on the back of Dennis's neck. “You're paying,” he answered, chuckling. “ _Of course_ I'll have dinner with you. Where are we going on this _dinner_?”

Dennis squinted as he looked into Mac's eyes. “Guigino’s,” he nodded, “they've got the _best_ fish in Philadelphia!” he emphatically added.

Mac couldn't believe it. He had gotten a job he liked, surrounded by people he liked, _and_ he was going on a Not Date with Dennis. God surely wanted to make up for the bad shit that he let happen. Mac prayed that his luck would stay this good for a long time. Surely God would listen.


	3. The One With The First Date

Mac sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He let out a long yawn and forced his eyes open as far as they could go. He grabbed his phone and checked the time. 3:45 PM. He let out a shorter yawn, this time shaking his head towards the end. He had messages from an unknown number.

  **4:51 AM**

**> heuo it den ;₩**

**> *;₩**

**> fuck it**

Mac snorted when he read it. He added the number to his contacts and smiled.

He turned, placing his left foot on the floor and his stump next to it. He grabbed his prosthesis, taking the prophylactic out of the socket. He gently rolled the prophylactic onto his stump,careful with positioning. He made sure all the air was out in order to prevent blisters. He had made the mistake before and refused to suffer through it again.

He grabbed a small spray bottle of alcohol and sprayed his prophylactic and rubbed it in, spreading it to help lubricate. He sprayed the inside of his prosthesis socket and did the same. He placed his stump in the socket and carefully stood up, placing his weight on the prosthesis. He took a deep breath and proceeded to stand still, but place pressure on the prosthetic, then release some, and repeat until all the air was released through the suction ring at the bottom of the socket.

Mac tiredly walked to his dresser. He took his sweaty shirt off and put on an oversized Tommy Bahama shirt. He put on the same pair of shorts that he wore the day before. He put his phone in his back pocket and left his room. Charlie was lying on the couch wearing a tank top and boxers. He carelessly ate a bowl of cereal that was resting on his chest. “Good morning,” Mac greeted.

Charlie gave a sound of acknowledgement and continued eating his cereal. Mac headed into the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the bag in the fridge. He carefully peeled the skin off and placed the knife in the sink. He took a bite of the apple and leaned against the fridge. “You and Dennis got _hammered_ last night,” Charlie said since the Law and Order SVU rerun was on a commercial break.

Mac nodded. “Yeah, kinda figured since I have almost no memory of anything that happened,” he responded.

Charlie laughed. “That's what you get, trying to beat _anyone_ at a chugging contest,” Mac vaguely remembered throwing a pint after he lost.

Mac pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent Dennis a text.

**4:15 PM**

**< what time are we having dinner, stud? **

He threw away the apple core and washed the sticky juice off his hand. He dried his hands on his shorts. He walked into the den and slapped Charlie’s legs. “Let's me sit here,” he demanded.

Charlie rolled his eyes and moved the bowl of cereal from his chest to his lap. He sat up and turned, resting his legs on the table in front of the couch. Mac sat on the couch, a cushion between them. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, it was a text from Dennis.

**4:16 PM**

**> I'll pick you up at 7?**

Before he could respond, another text came through.

**> dress nice**

Mac bit the insides of his cheeks and glanced at the small TV, Olivia Benson interrogating a suspect.

**4:16 PM**

**< I'll try my best :)**

He placed his phone on his lap in case Dennis said anything else. He didn't. Mac wasn’t really disappointed, Dennis had his own life. He sighed about half way through another episode, Ice T was talking to his son about a case involving gay men. He rubbed his face in exasperation. “Dude, literally all I know about this kid is that he’s gay and Ice T’s son,” Mac looked at Charlie, who was now holding an empty bowl and watching the show.

Charlie sighed. “He’s got daddy issues,” he says it as though it were obvious.

Mac reached for the remote and changed the channel, turning it to a Scooby Doo movie. It was one of the live action ones, Fred and Daphne switched bodies. He grabbed Charlie’s bowl and took it to the kitchen, placing it in the sink with the rest of the ridiculously large pile of dishes. Mac sighed and stared at them. He opened the dishwasher, it was empty thankfully. He began placing the dishes in the dishwasher, rinsing most of them, scrubbing dishes with food stuck on them.

It was a little past six when he started the dishwasher on a regular cycle. He headed back into his room and to his dresser. He grabbed a dark gray polo and a pair of navy blue slacks. He changed his clothes and grabbed a black tie. He put on a pair of nice shoes, his boots. He headed into the bathroom, putting on deodorant and rinsing his mouth with mouthwash. He carefully put gel in his hair then sprayed some cologne, a second to be careful. He took a deep breath and smiled at his reflection.

It was a little before seven when Dennis finally arrived, he knocked on the apartment door. Before Mac could get the door, Charlie had already opened it. Dennis was wearing a pair of khaki’s and a blue button up. Mac didn’t know yet, but that was similar to what he wore on a daily basis. Charlie looked at Dennis in confusion. “I’ll be back in a while Charlie, stay safe,” Mac gently moved around Charlie and stepped outside the apartment.

Charlie squinted and nodded. “Okay, have fun,” he nodded, closing the door.

Mac and Dennis headed out of the building. Mac didn’t know what kind of car he expected Dennis to have, but it was _not_ a Range Rover. He carefully got in the passenger seat and Dennis started the car and turned the radio on, Summer of ‘69 playing quietly. Dennis turned the volume up a few notches. The drive to Guigino’s was comfortably silent, aside from the music playing. Mac usually wasn’t one for silence, but he felt peaceful on the drive.

Dennis parked as close to the entrance as he could, most likely out of sheer convenience. They headed inside, the restaurant wasn’t empty, but it wasn’t packed. They were seated quickly, in the middle of the dining room. They were given menu’s and they placed a drink order. “Your hair looks… small,” Dennis awkwardly said once the waiter left.

Mac laughed. “Is that your idea of a complement?” he asked, looking Dennis in his bright blue eyes.

Dennis sighed. “Was it bad?” Mac nodded. “Son of a bitch,” Dennis took a deep breath. “I,” he paused, preparing himself, “I don’t know how to date _men_ ,” he informed.

Mac inhaled. “Me neither,” he let out a nervous chuckle. “I enlisted in order to avoid letting myself actually start dating, to tell you the truth,” he was sure that God caused him to get shot as some sort of twisted retribution. God had made him gay and there was no way around it, so he might as well embrace it.

Dennis reached for Mac’s hand, then stopped himself from actually holding it. Mac hesitantly placed his hand on Dennis’s closed fist. Dennis met Mac’s gaze. “Thank you,” he whispered. Mac nodded and gave a small, reassuring smile.

The waiter arrived with their drinks on a tray, giving them each the wine that they ordered. “Are you ready to order?” he asked, glancing back and forth between them.

“We’ll order when we’re goddamn ready to order. Does it look like we’re ready to order? No, so shoo,” Dennis snapped. The waiter grimaced and politely nodded, leaving the table.

Mac opened the menu. “What’s good here?” he asked.

Dennis pursed his lips. “I’ll order for you, no need to worry,” he opened his own menu.

Mac didn’t know how he was supposed to feel about that. He decided he should just trust Dennis on this. If Charlie trusted him, then so could Mac. They made it this far without dying so what the hell. “Okay,” he took a sip of his wine. Suddenly a thought struck Mac. “How do you eat your apples?” he asked. This question would make or break whether he should let Dennis order for him.

“Without the skin, obviously,” Dennis said immediately. “The skins are full of toxins,” he glanced away from the menu and back at Mac.

Mac smiled widely. “Yeah! Can you believe that during training I was called a sissy for peeling my apple skins? Like, sorry I care about my health,” He rolled his eyes.

Dennis perked up. “Dee doesn’t get it either,” he says. They stared into each other's eyes. Dennis quickly looked back down at the menu, then looked around the dining room. “Where the fuck is that waiter?” he asked.

Mac frowned a bit and looked around the room as well. “Definitely not giving him a tip,” Mac responded.

Before either of them could speak again, a group of people a few tables over who were talking loudly cheered. “Can they shut up? Do they _need_ to make that much noise?” Dennis sneered.

“Maybe they’re celebrating,” Mac suggested. He looked at them, giving each person an ocular patdown.

“Or maybe they’re just obnoxious assholes,” Dennis responded.

Mac nodded a bit. “Maybe,” he scratched his chin.

The waiter arrived at their table. “About damn time,” Dennis grumbled. “I’ll have a plate of tilapia, and he’ll have some spaghetti,” Dennis handed the waiter his menu, Mac did the same.

The waiter nodded. “I’ll get right on that, sir,” he went to leave.

Dennis stopped him. “Wait,” the waiter raised his eyebrows, “that table over there,” Dennis pointed at the loud table. “Ask them to quiet down, we’re trying to have a nice and quiet date and they’re ruining the mood,” he grabbed his wine taking a sip.

The waiter turned, heading to the kitchen, ignoring the request. “That dick,” Mac said in response. Dennis sighed. “Some people just have no manners,” Mac turned back to Dennis.

The two started talking, bonding over shared interests. Mac would never admit to it but he felt great when he made Dennis smile. He felt even better when he made the man laugh. They both planned to watch a movie together the following Tuesday. Movies were very important to the both of them, Mac watched Predator once a week, despite the fact that Charlie wasn’t _that_ big of a fan of the movies. When Dennis showed the same enjoyment of the series, Mac was thrilled.


	4. The One With The Movie

Charlie was hanging out with  _ Dee _ of all people when Dennis knocked on the apartment door. Mac smiled as he opened it. “I brought Predator, as promised,” Dennis lifted the DVD case and showed it to Mac. Mac let Dennis in the apartment. “Did you order the pizza?” he asked.

Mac closed the door. “Yeah and I’m making some popcorn,” he headed back into the kitchen as the microwave beeped and Dennis followed him. “Can’t watch a movie without popcorn,” he said as he grabbed the largest bowl they had. 

Dennis sat on the counter. “Obviously, popcorn is a  _ requirement _ for movie nights,” he watched Mac pour the bag of popcorn into the bowl. “What kind of pizza did you order?” he asked.

Mac threw the empty bag into the trash. “One supreme and one Hawaiian style,” he reached into the bowl and took a piece, popping it into his mouth.

Dennis nodded a bit. “Pineapple is surprisingly good on pizza,” he got off the counter and grabbed the bowl. They walked into the den. “You would expect it to be too sweet, but oddly it is a perfect balance,” he adds.

Mac nods as they sit on the couch next to each other. “Yeah, totally,” he turns to look at Dennis. “Do you wanna wait for the pizza or do you wanna go ahead and start the movie?” he asked.

Dennis rubbed his chin in thought. “Well, we don’t want the popcorn to get cold,” he says.

Mac nods and grabs the DVD case. He slowly stands, making sure not to pinch himself with his prosthetic. He puts the movie in the DVD player and changes the input. He sits back down and starts the movie. As the movie starts, he reaches for some popcorn, getting a handful. He shoves them into his mouth, chewing loudly. He looked at Dennis, who was watching the movie. Dennis glanced at Mac, causing him to quickly look away. Mac reached to get some more popcorn, only to brush knuckles with Dennis. He looked at him again, their eyes met as he grabbed some, then put it in his mouth. Dennis snorted and looked back at the movie as he ate his popcorn.

When there was a knock at the door, Dennis paused the movie. “I’ve got it,” he stands up, walking to the door. He pays the pizza guy and takes both boxes, closing the door with his foot. He placed the pizza on the coffee table. He put the supreme in front of Mac and the Hawaiian in front of his spot and he sat down, this time closer to Mac. Mac unpaused the movie. 

They decided to let the pizza cool down a bit before they eat it. In the meantime, they continued sharing the popcorn. Mac felt Dennis’s arm snake around his shoulders. Mac leaned a bit closer to him. He turned his head to look at Dennis. Dennis met his stare. He leaned his face closer to Mac’s. Mac felt his breath hitch. He slowly closed the distance between their lips. Dennis leaned impossibly closer, he turned his body and Mac mirrored him. Dennis placed his hand on Mac’s side, and pressed their chests together. Mac separated their lips, then quickly reconnected them in a different angle. 

Before Mac could move his hands to Dennis’s back, Dennis moved away from Mac faster than he could process it. Mac’s eyes widened and Dennis stood up. “I have to go,” he stepped away from Mac, “right now,” he grabbed the box of Hawaiian pizza, “immediately,” he turned toward the door. 

“Dennis!” Mac shouted. Dennis ignored him and struggled with the door. Mac stood up, trying to chase after Dennis, but he already opened the door. “Dennis, wait!” he called after him. Dennis hurried out the door, forgetting his movie, the movie that was still playing. 

Mac was sitting on the couch, drinking from a bottle of whiskey when Charlie and Dee stumbled into the apartment. “Motownphilly’s back again,” they drunkenly sang, “doin a little east coast swing,” Charlie pointed at Mac. “Boyz II Men going on, not too hard not too soft,” they slurred in unison.

“Back in school we used to dream about this everyday!” Mac slurred, shouting the lyrics at them. 

Charlie plopped on the couch next to Mac. “So, why you drinking?” he asked.

Mac shrugged. He wasn’t going to tell Charlie he was drinking because Dennis kissed him. He definitely wasn’t going to tell Charlie he was drinking because Dennis  _ left _ immediately after kissing him. He sure as fuck wasn’t going to say it was because he was an emotional wreck due to the whiplash of that. “Just felt like drinking,” he decided to say. 

“I’ll drink to that,” Dee grabbed the bottle and took a swig. Charlie laughed and took the bottle, chugging a rather large amount. Mac laughed a bit and took the bottle back. “We just tried to do stand up and Charlie talked about cheese and vomited,” Dee giggled.

Charlie made a high pitched sound of protest. “You couldn’t get out your greeting before you started gagging uncontrollably!” he shouted.

Mac grimaced. “Guys, stop talking about puke and gagging or I’ll start gagging,” he states.

The next day, when Mac arrived at Paddy’s he noticed Dennis wasn’t there. He sighed and sat at the bar. “Where’s Dennis?” he asked Dee. 

Dee placed a bottle of beer in front of Mac. “He’s at home. It’s his day off,” she says, slightly confused, “He has a life away from the bar.” She took a drink from her own beer. “Why are you asking about him?” 

Mac raised his eyebrows. “Oh uh, just curious,” he said. He knew he didn’t convince her.

Dee pursed her lips. “Wanna pretend to be homeless and stand on the street asking for money? You'll get more sympathy as an amputee,” she asked. Mac thought about it for a second, then nodded.

They got cardboard from the dumpster and a marker. Mac wrote ‘HOMELESS VETERAN, NEED CASH FOR MEDICAL BILLS, GOD BLESS’ much to Dee’s dismay. “People are even more sympathetic if you include God, trust me I know,” he assured her.

Dee sighed and wrote on the other piece of cardboard. ‘HOMELESS VETERANS WIFE, PREGNANT, NEED MONEY’ she refused to bring God into this. She grabbed a few plastic cups. “Let’s get some of Charlie’s clothes to really sell it,” she said, heading for the door.

Mac convinced Charlie to let him wear the jacket he gave him. Both Dee and Mac grabbed shirts with holes in them and Dee borrowed a pair of stained and ripped jeans while Mac put on his knee length jean shorts. They decided to go to Market Street for this scheme. In order to sell it, they walked to the corner they would stand at. 

“So, did you get shot in battle?” Dee asked as they walked.

Mac snorted. “I wish,” she gave him a confused look. “At the end of training there was some accidental friendly fire,” he frowned a bit. “However if someone asks while we’re out here, I  _ did _ get shot in battle,” Dee laughed.

“Of course, you gotta make them think you’re a hero,” she nodded.

Mac stopped her. “I  _ am  _ a hero, I am a  _ veteran _ ,” he insisted.

Dee gave him an amused look. “You didn’t make it out of training!” she laughed at him.

Mac shook his head. “Why do I talk to you?”


	5. The One With Mac's Mom

Mac was arguing with Charlie over whether Hannah Montana was a legitimately good Disney show when Dennis walked in the bar. “Dude, I could sing  _ any _ Hannah Montana song you throw at me. She's just that good,” Mac stated.

“Rockstar,” Dennis said, getting behind the bar.

So they were going to pretend the kiss never happened apparently. “Easy,” Mac scoffed. “Sometimes I walk a little faster in the school hallway just to get next to you,” Mac began singing. “Some days I spend a little extra time in the morning just to impress you-”

Dennis laughed. “You can stop,” he smiled. “Still up for movie night Tuesday?” he asked hesitantly.

Mac nodded. “Yeah, of course, still have your Predator DVD at the apartment,” Mac informed.

Charlie groaned. “You got Dennis to agree to watching Predator?” 

Dennis got himself a beer. “It is a cinematic masterpiece, only beat by Thundergun,” he stated matter of factly.

Charlie nodded a bit. “I agree that Thundergun is better by a long shot,” before he could continue, Dennis interrupted him.

“Charlie aside from Thundergun, what is your favorite movie?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Ratatouille and The Aristocats,” he responded as if it were obvious. It should have been.

Mac furrowed his brows. “I’ve never seen Ratatouille,” before he could say anything else, Charlie turned to him and screamed at the top of his lungs.

A few hours later, the three of them were still arguing over the quality of Predator when Dennis’s cell phone rang. “Yo,” he greeted. His face fell as the other person spoke. “Okay, I’ll be right there. Thank you,” he hung up. “Family emergency,” he put his phone in his pocket and started leaving. 

“What happened?” Charlie asked.

Dennis sighed. “Brian swallowed a fucking quarter, he’s at the emergency room. I have to go  _ now _ ,” he hurried out the door.

Mac turned to Charlie. “Who’s Brian?” he asked. The guy must be extremely similar to Charlie or really young to swallow a quarter.

“His son, Mandy must be freaking out,” Charlie bit the nail of his index finger. 

Mac felt his chest tighten. Dennis was a father. The Mandy chick must be the mother. “Is Mandy his wife?” he had to be sure. He  _ needed _ to know.

Charlie nodded. “Yeah,” he answered.

Mac felt his stomach drop. He wanted to vomit. He took a deep breath to steady himself. Dennis probably didn’t even  _ like  _ Mac. He did leave after they kissed. Mac chugged his beer. He probably was using Mac to experiment. He felt himself gag at the thought. He wiped his mouth and swallowed the bile that was slowly rising. “I’m not feeling good, can we go to the apartment?” he asked Charlie.

Charlie nodded. “Yeah, of course,” they both stood up. Mac steadied himself on the bar. 

Charlie hailed a cab and told the driver the name of the apartment complex. When the cab parked in front of the complex, Mac got out as fast as he could manage. Charlie quickly exited without paying. “Run as fast as you can,” he said. They ran inside the building before the cabbie could get to them. When they got in the elevator, they leaned against the wall to catch their breath. “What’s wrong dude?” Charlie asked once he was able to breathe.

Mac took a deep breath. He didn’t want to out Dennis but he needed to vent. He looked at Charlie and changed his mind. Fuck Dennis. He used Mac, he didn’t deserve the politeness of  _ not _ being outed. “Dennis was cheating on Mandy,” he wheezed.

Charlie gave him a confused look. “Yeah, he’s always cheated on her,” he let out a small laugh.

“He cheated on her with  _ me _ ,” Mac corrected.

Charlie’s expression fell. “Oh shit,” he said.

The elevator doors opened and they headed to their apartment. “It was just a few dates and he kissed me,” Mac added. Charlie unlocked the apartment door and they went inside. Mac slumped onto the couch. He looked at his hands, they were trembling. He let himself release his emotions. “I want to fucking destroy something,” he felt the hot tears fall down his face. “Charlie can I punch you? You can take a hit,” he looked at his best friend. 

Charlie bit his lip and nodded. Mac stood up and walked in front of Charlie. He looked Charlie in the eyes and felt more tears and he hiccupped. He grabbed Charlie’s shoulder and punched him in the stomach. Charlie let out a loud gust of air and groaned. He placed his hand on Mac’s shoulder. “Son of a bitch,” he mumbled. 

Mac looked him in the eyes. More tears fell, he wasn’t satisfied. “You good?” he sobbed. Charlie nodded and stood up straight. Mac choked on his sadness and punched Charlie again, picturing Dennis. Before Charlie could recover from this one Mac punched him again. “You son of a bitch, I  trusted you!” he screamed at the figment of his imagination. He dropped his head on Charlie’s shoulder and pulled him close, wrapping him in a hug. “Fuck,” he sobbed. Charlie held him tightly and gently gave him a pat on the back. 

“Let it out,” Charlie assured him.

Later that night, after Charlie was asleep, Mac grabbed the Predator DVD case and stared at the cover. He opened the case, seeing the disc inside. He gently took the disc out of the case and stared at it. He looked at Arnold’s bloody face. He took a deep breath and snapped the disc in half. He felt a strange kind of relief when he looked at the broken disc. A weight lifted off of his chest, if only the rest would follow. He placed the broken disc back in the case and closed it. 

He couldn’t sleep so he didn’t bother removing his prosthetic. He stood up from the couch and threw the DVD case onto the coffee table. He ran a hand through his hair. He wasn’t sad anymore, he was just overwhelmed with anger. Mac wasn’t the kind of person to just  _ let  _ someone use him. At least he thought he wasn’t. He wasn’t so sure anymore. He walked to the fridge and grabbed a can of beer. He opened it and chugged it. He crushed the can and threw it away. He rubbed his hand down his face and headed to his room. He changed into a different t-shirt, then headed out of the apartment. 

Once he found himself outside, alone except for the few bastards with a graveyard shift being let out of work. He let his body take him to the one place he felt safe aside from the apartment. The sun was just starting to rise as Mac made his way down the street. He looked at the door in front of him when he finally made it to his destination. The paint was chipped on the porch steps. He used the handrail as he carefully climbed the steps. He slowly ran his hand on the wood.

He lifted the battered welcome mat. He grabbed the key and dropped the mat. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. His mother sat in the recliner in the living room, mindlessly watching the television. “Hey mom,” he closed the door. She grunted in greeting. Mac smiled and took a deep breath. “Just thought I’d drop by,” he walked toward her and sat on the old couch next to her recliner. 

She took a drag from her cigarette. “At the ass crack of dawn?” she asked, blowing out some smoke. 

The stale cigarette smoke was welcoming to Mac. It reminded him of being a kid, hanging out in his bedroom with Charlie, stealing his parents cigarettes and huffing glue. “Couldn’t sleep so I took a walk,” he looked at the TV. His mother was watching I Love Lucy. 

She gave a grunt, Mac learned to know what each type of grunt meant. This one was understanding. He leaned back on the couch, relaxing more than he had all night. He lifted his prosthetic and placed it on the coffee table. “Get your-” his mother cut herself off and sighed. He glanced at her, she was staring at his leg. It was the most concern he had ever seen her show. He looked back at the television and bit his lip. He took a deep breath as cool tears ran down his face.


	6. The One With The Swallowed Quarter

Dennis was speeding, he didn’t give a shit about the speed limit. He had to get to his son. He quickly turned into the hospital parking lot. He parked near the emergency room entrance. There was no line to talk to the woman at the desk in front of the door. “How may I help you, sir?” she asked, not looking away from the computer in front of her.

“My son, Brian Reynolds, was checked in,” he stated out of breath. He had ran from his car. The woman nodded and asked for ID. He shakily gave her his driver's license. She typed something and handed it back to him. She told him which room Brian was in and told him which hall to go down to get there. 

He tried his best not to run to the room. He compromised with himself and began power walking. He found the room, the door closed. To make sure they hadn’t gone somewhere else he looked through the small window and saw Mandy holding Brian’s hand. He opened the door. “Oh baby,” he rushed to his son, placing his hands on his head. He gave him a kiss on the forehead. He turned to Mandy. “How did this happen?” he asked, sitting in the other chair.

Mandy took a deep breath. “He got a quarter from my purse, I don’t know the specifics and he isn’t talking,” she kept looking back and forth between Dennis and Brian. Dennis glanced at her left hand. She moved her wedding ring above her knuckle and was spinning it with her thumb and she held Brian’s small hand. 

Dennis rubbed his face. “Jesus Christ,” he sighed, “Have the doctors said anything?” He needed to know as much as possible.

“We just got brought in this room a minute before you got here,” she shook her head.

Before Dennis could say anything else, the door opened. It was a doctor. “Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, I’m Doctor Jinx,” the man greeted, “Why are we in today?”

“My son swallowed a quarter,” Dennis answered, “What can you do?”

“He seems to be doing okay, so I would suggest letting it pass,” the doctor nodded.

Dennis’s eyes widened. “ _ Just let it pass _ ? Help my son  _ now _ !” he shouted.

“Honey, calm down, you’re scaring Brian,” Mandy quickly interjected. Brian was squeezing her hand and not looking at Dennis.

Dennis turned to Brian, gently grabbing Brian’s other hand. Brian looked at Dennis, who had the softest and most comforting face he could manage. “I’m not mad at you, sweetie. Daddy loves you,” he said quietly.

“The best option is to just let it pass. If there are any issues in the next few days, come back,” Doctor Jinx instructed them.

Mandy and Brian had arrived in an ambulance so the three of them got into the Range Rover. Mandy turned on the radio, Jack and Diane playing. Dennis tapped the steering wheel with his thumb and Mandy looked out the window. The same uncomfortable tension between them that Brian could never detect.

Neither of them had wanted to get married, but their parents had pressured them. Dennis’ mother saying that since he would be in the boy’s life, it would be better for the family reputation if they got married. Mandy’s mother didn’t want a bastard grandson, saying it was against God or some other bullshit that Dennis didn’t believe nor agree with. Mandy and Dennis were only 18 when they were married, now she was 22 and he was 23, Brian was 5. They were still married and refused to divorce, for Brian’s sake, even though Barbara had passed away and Mandy’s mother was in North Dakota.

While Mandy and Dennis were making spaghetti, Brian was playing with the neighbor’s daughter in the large living room. Barbara had given Dennis the family mansion when she passed, Frank had moved into the apartment that Dennis and Mandy were staying in at the time. “So how’s your girl Mac?” Mandy asked.

It took Dennis a few moments before he remembered that he hadn’t told Mandy that Mac is a man. “Good, we were at the bar talking when you called,” he answered.

Mandy smiled. “It’s nice to see you seeing someone more than once,” she stated. 

Dennis nodded. He couldn’t help but smile when thinking about Mac, his eyes that Dennis couldn’t figure out which color they were. The kiss, however brief, was by far the best kiss that Dennis had ever experienced. “Yeah,” he sighed contentedly.

“You’re blushing! You really do like this one,” Mandy laughed, nudging his shoulder.

Dennis let out a short laugh. “We’re watching Predator again Tuesday,” he informed her.

“At her and Charlie’s apartment? How do you know she’s not pulling a you with Charlie?” Mandy teased.

“Charlie isn’t interested in Mac, he just helps out. I mean, Mac did lose a leg,” he responded simply, dipping his finger in some spaghetti sauce to feel if it was warm. He licked it off and looked at Mandy.

She was putting on an oven mitt. “You’re not as shallow as I thought, then,” Dennis stepped out of her way as she got breadsticks from the oven.

Dennis scoffed. “I wouldn’t say I’m shallow, I just have high standards,” he crossed his arms over his chest.

Mandy let out a laugh. “Sure, keep telling yourself that, handsome,” she took off the oven mitt and grabbed the sides of his face. “You and your sister are the most shallow people I have ever met,” he pulled his head down and gave him a kiss. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him.

This was their routine, insults and kisses, hate fucking some nights. Hate fucking isn’t a good description, actually. They do care for each other. There was once a time when one could even say they were in love. One could call it hate sex, others would call it mutual benefits. Neither of them really cared though. They just think of it as how their marriage was bound to turn out. They weren’t in love, but they loved each other.

Dennis was scared to ruin everything by telling her that Mac is a man. Hell, he was scared to tell Mac about Mandy. Mac didn’t  _ need _ know that he was married. He should tell Mac that he had a son, though. Things were going well so far, aside from Dennis running out after they kissed. He would explain to Mac that he was just scared of his feelings. Well, no. He wouldn’t say that, he couldn’t even admit it to himself. He didn’t really know  _ what  _ he would tell Mac.


	7. The One With The Rainbow

Mac had decided to act like everything was fine and normal until Tuesday. Tuesday couldn’t come quickly enough. At the bar, Mac had started helping Charlie with the janitorial duties, not wanting to spend time with Dennis. He couldn’t look at Dennis without feeling rage bubble up under his skin. Mac had told Charlie not to mention anything that happened that night.

It was late Saturday night when Mac put on his black mesh tank top and began walking. When he arrived at The Rainbow, he felt a weight lift off his chest. He ordered himself a drink: a rum and coke. He watched the crowd of men on the dance floor. He met eyes with a tan, shirtless man on the dance floor.

 

_I'm bringin' sexy back (yeah)_

_Them other boys don't know how to act (yeah)_

_I think it's special, what's behind your back (yeah)_

_So turn around and I'll pick up the slack (yeah)_

 

He downed his drink and walked to the man, swaying to the beat. The man met him halfway, grabbing his hips. They swayed together, impossibly close. Mac grabbed his shoulders, grinding with the stranger. Mac let the music take over his body, living in the moment with this handsome stranger. He ignored the thoughts in the back of his head; he avoided thinking about guys who lie and cheat, and one in particular. He just wanted to dance and let the blue strobe lights dictate how this stranger saw him.

He took a deep breath, he decided to throw caution to the wind and kiss this stranger. He didn’t expect how soft the man’s lips were. He leaned impossibly closer to the man. He was met with the same enthusiasm.

 

_I’ll take you to the candy shop_

_I’ll let you lick the lollipop_

_Go ‘head girl don’t you stop_

_Keep going ‘til you hit the spot, whoa_

 

Next thing Mac knew, he was in the bathroom rubbing against the man. “Say my name,” the man said. “It’s Rex,” he kissed Mac’s neck, unzipping his pants. Mac never expected to have a quickie with a stranger at a gay club. He wouldn’t let this experience go to waste. So, he moaned and groaned the man’s name as they touched each other.

When Mac woke up on Sunday, he had a massive headache. He probably shouldn’t have drank as much as he did. Mac got up, put on a different outfit, and took an Advil. He drank some orange juice from the bottle. He grabbed his wallet and headed out the door. Once outside, he hailed a cab.

He gave the cabbie the name of his destination and relaxed in the back seat. He watched the city pass by him through the window. When the cab stopped, he paid the fare and stepped onto the sidewalk. He looked up at the church, it looked the same as he remembered it. He hadn’t been to church since he got back. He opened the door and walked inside. It was late, so mass was already over. He walked to the confessional, opening the door and sitting down. He closed the door and took a deep breath.

When the pastor opened the window, Mac was ready. “Forgive me father for I have sinned,” he stated, knowing this would be the only way for the pastor to continue the confession.

“Speak my son,” the pastor responded.

Mac squinted a bit. “Well, actually it’s not _me_ , it's my friend. He’s married with a kid, and he’s cheating on his wife,” before Mac could continue, the pastor interrupted him.

“Sir, the confession is about _you_ ,” he said, already done with Mac.

Mac stopped the pastor from closing the window. “He’s cheating on her with _me_ ,” he added quickly. This kept the priest from leaving. “This was the only way I could talk directly to you and God about it. He doesn’t know that I know,” Mac stated.

The priest sighed. “Perhaps you should tell his wife,” he suggested.

Maac scoffed. “I don’t know her, I just wanted God to know that I didn’t know that Dennis was a rotten sinful dick,” he snapped.

“My apologies,” the priest responded hesitantly.

Tuesday finally rolled around and Mac didn’t order any pizza. Nor did he make popcorn. Why would he feed the garbage man that he once hoped to call a boyfriend? Mac sat on the couch, biting his nails. Charlie had agreed to wait in his room in case he was needed. Mac sat, listening to Amy Winehouse’s Fuck Me Pumps when Dennis knocked on the door. He got up, not pausing the song that was filling the apartment. He opened the door. “Hey man,” he faked a smile.

Dennis smiled back at him. “Hey,” he seemed a bit nervous. Mac let him in the apartment. “Did you order any pizza?” he asked.

Mac shook his head. “No popcorn either,” he added, sitting on the couch. Dennis gave him a confused look. “Can you put the Predator in the DVD player?” Mac asked.

Dennis nodded. “Yeah, okay,” he grabbed the DVD case and opened it. He stood still, frozen in shock looking at the broken disc.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re married?” Mac asked calmly, holding in the anger.

Dennis looked at him. “I-I didn’t think it was important,” he stuttered. “Why did you break my DVD?” He closed the case and threw it across the room.

Mac stood up. “You were lying to me, acting like you wanted to be with me,” he took a step closer to Dennis. “You didn’t even think about how I would feel about being your _mistress_! Well, maybe I want to have a boyfriend who isn’t married to some woman I never met. Maybe I want to be the only one he calls baby!” he felt the rage pouring out of himself.

He couldn’t stop himself. He slapped Dennis in the face. When Dennis recovered, he did the same to Mac. Mac’s eyes widened and he punched Dennis in the stomach. Before he could recover, Mac pushed Dennis onto the ground. “Son of a bitch!” Dennis shouted.

Mac was about to kick Dennis in the side, but before he could land the hit, Dennis grabbed his leg, causing him to fall. “Fuck!” he shouted. He grabbed the socket of his prosthesis. He hissed, the fall had caused it to change positions.

Charlie rushed into the den. “Mac!” he shouted. Dennis sat up, scooting away from Mac so Charlie could help him. “What did you do?” Charlie asked Dennis.

“I started it, Charlie,” Mac assured him. Charlie helped Mac roll his pant leg up. He pushed the button on the bottom of the socket, letting the air in. Mac took his stump out of the socket and rubbed it. Charlie stood up, helping Mac up and supporting him, taking him to the couch.

“I’m gonna get some ice,” Charlie said, heading to the kitchen after he helped Mac sit down.

Dennis grabbed the prosthetic and walked to the couch, sitting next to Mac. “Mandy knows I date other people,” he said quietly. “We aren’t in love, we were forced to get married when she got pregnant,” he looked Mac in the eyes.

“How long?” Mac asked, then bit his lip.

Dennis sighed. “Five years,” he whispered.

Mac nodded a bit. “Do you wanna try again, this time we don’t lie and keep secrets?” he asked, a hesitant smile on his face.

Dennis matched his expression and held Mac’s hand. “I’d like that a lot,” he leaned his head towards Mac. When their lips met, Mac felt a strong sense of relief. He placed a hand on Dennis’s jaw. Neither of them knew Charlie was watching them with a smile on his face, holding melting ice in a ziploc bag.


	8. The One Where They Fix Things

Mac bought Dennis a new Predator DVD and they owned up to the agreement of starting over. They were watching the movie, Mac resting his head in Dennis’s lap. He had decided not to wear the prosthetic, more for having a comfortable position on the couch than anything. The popcorn was resting on Mac’s chest and they opted out of pizza. Dennis was rubbing Mac’s scalp as they watched the movie.

“Do you wanna have dinner at my place?” Dennis asked during a quiet scene.

“Just us or-” Mac turned so he could look up at Dennis. 

Dennis grabbed some popcorn. “Mandy and Brian are gonna be there,” he put the popcorn in his mouth- “I want you all to meet each other,” he said, chewing on the popcorn. 

Mac bit his lower lip. “Do they know about me?” he asked hesitantly.

“Mandy thinks you’re a woman and Brian is too young to understand,” Dennis looked back at the screen. He was obviously worried that Mac was going to reject the request.

He took a deep breath. “Okay,” he mirrored Dennis and looked at the TV.

Mac didn’t notice that Dennis had stopped rubbing his head until he continued. “We’re having chicken tonight,” Dennis informed.

Mac thought the family dinner would be a different night, he wasn’t expecting having to put his prosthetic back on and leave the apartment with Dennis. The sun was setting as Dennis drove the Range Rover to his house. When they passed the usual suburbs and started heading to gated community territory, Mac squeezed his knee anxiously. He had never been to this part of town before, no one he knew before Dennis had lived there. 

Then Dennis pulled into a long driveway that lead to a fucking  _ mansion _ of all houses. “Holy shit,” Mac said, wide eyed. 

Dennis parked in front of the door, next to an Acura TL. Mac was staring at the large building in amazement. “Let’s go inside,” Dennis unbuckled his seatbelt and they both got out of the car.

When Dennis opened the front door, Mac was swept away by the gorgeous, golden decorations in the living room. There were pictures above the fireplace, Mac couldn’t make out what they were of from the distance, but he felt like they were family portraits. “Dennis, is that you?” a woman asked from the kitchen. Mac noticed that she definitely did not have a Philadelphia accent.

“Yeah, I brought Mac,” Dennis replied as he closed the door. Dennis placed his hand on the small of Mac’s back and lead him to the kitchen. “Do you need any help?” he asked. 

Mandy turned to them, her eyes landing on Mac. Her face initially showed shock, most likely because she was looking at a  _ man _ . Her face immediately changed to a bright smile. “You must be Mac,” she walked towards him, her hand extended toward him. Mac gently shook her hand, a bit nervous. Mandy is Dennis’s wife, she was important to Dennis. 

“You must be Mandy,” he smiled. “It’s nice to meet you,” Mac watched Dennis walk to the stove.

Mandy waved her hand. “Oh, the pleasure’s all mine. Anyone that makes Dennis happy is good in my book,” she placed her soft hand on his bicep and lead him into a different room. “This is the dining room, we’ll be eating in here, you can go ahead and sit down. The chicken is just about done,” she pulled out a chair at the table.

Mac sat down. “Thanks for having me,” he said.

“It’s no problem, I’ve been wanting to meet you since Dennis mentioned your first date,” she gently squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll be back in a jiffy, I’ve gotta get Brian, he was just washing up for dinner,” she pointed toward the door. Mac nodded and she headed out of the room, leaving Mac to himself. He sat alone, not wanting to intrude on the family's personal items. He leaned back in the chair and bit his nails.

After a minute or so, which felt like an eternity to Mac, a blonde child walked into the dining room and sat in the chair across from Mac. “Who are you?” the kid asked.

Mac sat up. “I’m Mac, a friend of your dad’s,” he smiled. 

“Are you having dinner with us?” Brian asked.

Dennis placed a plate of something that didn’t look like  _ chicken _ in front of Mac. “Yeah, and I hope he has many more dinners with us if that’s okay with you,” Dennis responded as he sat at the head of the table.

“We’ll see,” Brian squinted at Dennis. Mac let out a quiet laugh.

Mandy placed a plate of chicken nuggets and assorted veggies in front of Brian. The plate was the kind that separated the different foods. She sat at the foot of the table. Based on knowing Dennis, Mac wasn’t surprised when they started eating without saying grace. “What exactly is this?” Mac pointed at his food with his fork.

“Roasted chicken risotto and caramelized onions,” Mandy raised her eyebrows.

Mac bit the inside of his cheeks and picked up some of the food with his fork, hesitantly eating it. It was better than he expected. “Wow,” he said, his mouth full. 

A little while into the dinner, Mac gained the courage to actually start getting to know Mandy. “So, how did you two meet?” he asked.

Dennis squinted, looking at Mandy. “Mom and Dad moved Dee and myself to North Dakota for high school,” he licked his teeth. “Dee for some reason was accepted into the school play and I went with her to one of their rehearsals,” he took a sip of his wine.

“I was friends with Dee and she introduced us,” Mandy added. “We moved here after we got married. Dennis wanted to show Brian where he was from,” she picked up more food on her fork.

Dennis scratched his face. “My mom died a few years later, we got the house and the rest is history,” he shrugged.

“How did you two meet?” Mandy decided to ask.

Brian squirmed in his seat. “I’m tired,” he stated.

Dennis stood up and walked to Brian, lifting him out of his chair. “Let’s get you to bed then,” he rubbed Brian’s back and headed out of the room.

Mac smiled as he watched Dennis leave, then he turned back to Mandy, who was smiling at Mac. “You two are so cute,” she cooed.

Mac laughed. “Thanks, I guess. Well, uh, I’ve been friends with Charlie since we were kids, and when I was discharged from the military, he took me to Paddy’s to meet everybody,” he responded.

“Military? Wow, Dennis sure knows how to pick ‘em, huh?” Mandy grinned, sounding so positively delighted for them both that Mac couldn't help but smile back. She was genuine and unassuming in her pleasure, and suddenly Mac could understand what Dennis had seen in her all those years ago.


	9. The One With The Jorts

It was hot, the sun wasn't blocked by a single cloud. Luckily, Mac was prepared for the heat. His black sleeveless shirt and jean shorts were a stark contrast to Dennis and Brian’s polo shirts and cargo shorts. “Did we really have to go to the zoo in the middle of June?” Mac asked, fanning himself with the map.

Dennis rolled his eyes. “If you had brought a bottle of water, you would probably cool down quicker,” he waved his full water bottle in front of Mac.

Mac grabbed the bottle and quickly gulped down as much water as he could manage. Brian laughed from his stroller as some of it spilled. “Mac, give it back!” Dennis went to grab it, only for Mac to move it out of reach.

“Only if you agree to buy me and Brian some Dippin Dots,” Mac responded.

Dennis sighed. “Fine,” he crossed his arms over his chest.

Mac slowly put the bottle in the strollers cup holder. Dennis looked around. “Daddy, look!” Brian pointed at a tiger that was staring at them.

Dennis made a noise as if he actually did look at the tiger, but he was actually looking to find a Dippin Dots cart. Mac frowned a bit, wishing Dennis actually did listen to his son. “I think that tiger wants to fight you, Dennis,” he decided to say.

Dennis gave him a confused look. “Maybe it wants to fight you and your dumb jorts. Everyone knows if you want to wear jeans shorts they have to expose the thigh so you have maximum leg movement,” he still didn't look at the tiger.

Mac sighed. “The Dippin Dots are over there, genius,” he pointed at the cart that was in the opposite direction of where Dennis looked.

“Daddy, can we see Uncle Charlie later?” Brian asked, turning in his stroller to look at Dennis.

Dennis smiled and looked Brian in his, surprisingly brown, eyes. “Sure baby,” he pat Brian’s head.

As Dennis guided the stroller to the Dippin Dots stand and Mac walked beside him, Mac squinted, deep in thought. “You and Mandy have blue eyes, why does Brian have brown eyes?” he asked. 

Dennis titled his head. “I learned about that in science class, I can’t for the life of me tell you why though,” he stopped the stroller. He ordered the Dippin Dots, not giving Mac nor Brian the option to choose their own flavors. He paid the worker. “It’s probably because my parents have brown eyes, like it’s in the family,” he shrugged, handing Mac and Brian their Dippin Dots.

Dennis brought the stroller to a bench and Mac sat down. Before Dennis could, his phone rang. He stepped away so Brian and Mac could talk. “This is my first time coming to a zoo,” Mac said quietly, just loud enough for Brian to hear.

“Aunt Dee usually comes with us when mommy comes too,” Brian responded.

Mac smiled. “Are you having fun with just the three of us?” he asked.

Brian nodded. “Yeah! Do you think you can get daddy to buy me a stuffed lion? Mr. Tibbs wants a friend,” he said, already excited at the thought of getting a new stuffed animal.

“Yeah buddy, of course,” Mac gently rustled Brian’s hair, causing the kid to giggle.

Mac didn't notice but Dennis was watching them interact as he talked on the phone with Dee. “On our way back from the zoo we’ll pick you guys up. Can't believe you did that,” before Dee could say anything else, Dennis hung up and walked back over to them.

“Hey Den,” Mac greeted. “Can we check out the gift shop on the way out?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dennis squinted. “Sure,” he glanced between Mac and Brian. 

It took both Brian and Mac making puppy dog eyes for Dennis to agree to get the stuffed lion. He kept asking Brian if he was  _ sure _ that he wanted the lion. Brian said that he'd wanted it for  _ years _ but Mandy said it would attack Mr. Tibbs. Mac scoffed and said that they would be friends and that Mandy was wrong. Dennis sighed and bought the lion.


	10. The One With The Jail Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter y'all

Mac was confused when they didn't head directly to his apartment. “Where are we going?” he turned to Dennis.

Dennis sighed. “Dee, Charlie, and dad got arrested. Charlie violated his restraining order on that waitress and she called a cop. They'll have to explain the rest. I'm too tired to deal with their shit,” he rubbed his forehead.

“Good thing Mandy let you use her car. Yours would never fit everyone,” Mac looked at the road ahead of them.

Dennis parked in front of the police station. “Can you watch him? I'm just gonna break them out of the holding cell and a kid would make it more difficult and I don't wanna wake him up-” before Dennis could continue rambling, Mac placed his finger over Dennis's lips.

“Yeah,” Mac nodded. Dennis smiled and gently lowered Mac’s arm.

After Dennis walked into the police station, Mac turned to Brian. Brian was asleep in his car seat, holding the stuffed lion to his chest, his head leaning onto his shoulder. The corners of Mac's lips lifted into a soft smile. He took a deep breath, and turned back to watch the door of the police station. 

In the police station, Dennis saw an officer's jacket sitting unattended at a desk. He grabbed it and quickly put it on. He stood tall, as if he belonged there. As he walked, he saw another officer, noticing the keyring attached to her belt. He bumped into her. “I'm so sorry,” he said as he continued walking.

“It's okay,” she responded, unaware that he didn't belong there.

He walked to the holding cells, seeing Charlie, Dee, and Frank. He placed a finger over his lips, to signify that they should stay silent. He then showed them the ring of keys that he stole from the officer. They all stood up, walking toward him. He unlocked the cell and opened the door, letting them out. He quietly locked the cell. He dropped the ring of keys and took off the jacket. “We’re going to go out that window,” he whispered and pointed at the window that showed the alley next to the station, “then we're going to go to my place so I can put Brian to bed,” he finished. 

Mac was relieved when he saw the four of them walking to the car. He didn't know what he would do if Dennis got caught. Charlie sat on the floor in front of Brian’s car seat, Frank and Dee sat on either side of it. Dennis quickly started the car and began driving.

“Why is Mac here and not Mandy? You said you were going on a zoo date and taking the kid,” Frank said, keeping his voice low enough to not wake Brian.

Dennis tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Mac and I are dating. If you've got an issue, say it now or forever hold your peace -- also I don't care about your issue,” he said quickly.

Mac nervously squeezed his thigh. “Mandy knows?” Dee asked.

“She always knows when I date other people,” Dennis, glanced at Dee through the rearview mirror.

“Then there's no issue,” Frank responded.

Charlie lifted his head up high to try to look out the windshield. “How much longer?” he asked.

Dennis sighed. “We’ll get there when we get there,” he stated.

Mac turned to Charlie. “How did you guys get arrested?” he asked.

Dee spoke before Charlie could. “We bumped into the waitress on the street and she got a cop off the street corner. He tried to arrest Charlie so I punched him. Frank poured his wine in a can on him, then we all got arrested,” she quickly answered.

“It was a whole thing,” Charlie added.

“Wine in a can?” Mac asked, his interest piqued.

The three of them nodded. “It’s to be inconspicuous and to prevent spills. You just put some boxed wine into an empty soda can,” Frank answered.

Mac squinted in thought. “I've got to try that,” he turned to look at the road. 

Dennis pulled into his driveway and parked in Mandy’s spot. They all got out of the car, Dennis carrying Brian. When they collectively shut their doors, Brian tiredly opened his eyes. “Daddy?” he mumbled.

“We’re home, we've got uncle Charlie, aunt Dee, and grandpa,” Dennis cooed. 

Brian rested his head on Dennis’s shoulder. “Hi,” he greeted everyone.

“Hey buddy! How was the zoo? I saw you got a lion. Bet that was cool,” Charlie responded.

Brian nodded, showing everyone the lion. “Mac told daddy to get it for me,” he smiled.

Dennis opened the door and sighed. “Mac did have a good reason for me to buy it,” they walked into the house. “Do you wanna nap or play?” he asked.

“Charlie, can we play with my toys?” Brian looked at Charlie.

Charlie smiled and took Brian from Dennis's arms. “Of course,” he took Brian upstairs.

Dennis plopped onto the couch. “God, my feet are killing me,” he said as he took his shoes off.

Dee sat next to him while Frank sat in the recliner. Mac took the only empty seat and sat next to Dee. “How was the zoo?” Mandy asked as she walked down the stairs.

Dennis began rubbing his feet. “It was fun, but breaking my sister, father, and friend out of a police station's holding cell definitely knocked the ball out of the park,” he answered without looking at her.

Dee scoffed. “The cop shouldn't have listened to that bitch,” she crossed her arms over her chest.

“We were just minding our own business, then the broad freaked out when she saw Charlie,” Frank added. Dee nodded, agreeing with him.

Dennis looked up from massaging his foot. “Maybe you two shouldn't have  _ attacked _ him,” he hissed.

Mac shrugged. “I would've punched him, for that I salute Dee,” he high fived Dee.

“Do you guys want any beer?” Mandy asked.

The four of them responded positively, Dennis going as far to say “please”. He stood up and walked to the kitchen with Mandy, leaving the other three to themselves. “Brian had a lot of fun today,” he said quietly.

Mandy smiled. “That's good. What about Mac?” she asked.

Dennis smiled softly. “They got along so great. They would have had just as much fun, if not  _ more _ without me,” Mandy handed him a beer and he opened it, taking a sip there.

“That's a good sign, right?” Mandy asked as they walked back to the living room.

“It’s the best sign I could ask for,” Dennis sighed contentedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Tumblr is theliteraltrash follow me


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